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PM Modi’s remarks on Congress MP expunged from Parliament

The remarks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on BK Hariprasad, the UPA candidate for the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, were expunged from Parliamentary records in what is perhaps the first instance of such a decision.

Modi had on Thursday commented on Hariprasad’s loss using wordplay of his name which offended the Congress MP. The comment was made in the Rajya Sabha after Hariprasad’s loss to NDA candidate Harivansh.

“The Prime Minister belittled the dignity of the chair and brought down the dignity of the House,” Hariprasad said.

The Congress leader was miffed by PM Modi’s jibe. “The Prime Minister belittled the dignity of the chair and brought down the dignity of the House,” Hariprasad said.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has reportedly confirmed that the part of the prime minister’s speech that involved a wordplay on BK Hariprasad’s name has been expunged from the House’s records.

The remarks were expunged after RJD’s Manoj Jha raised an objection with the Rajya Sabha chairman.The Prime Minister, who had walked in the Rajya Sabha immediately after the voting, congratulated Harivansh Narayan Singh, a Janata Dal (United) MP, for his victory.

“PM Narendra Modi also congratulated Shri BK Hariprasad for being part of the election for deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha,” read a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release.

This is not the first time that the PM’s remarks in Parliament faced the threat of removal from records. In February 2017, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann had urged the Speaker to expunge PM Modi’s remarks about him in the Lok Sabha.

Parl adjourned sine die

The Monsoon Session of Parliament was adjourned sine die on Friday.

The amended Triple Talaq Bill was not taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Friday as no consensus could be built around it, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu Venkaiah Naidu said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan described the Monsoon Session as productive and satisfactory.

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said, the productivity of the House remained more than 74 per cent which is good.